Access Ability Provides Full Range of Access Solutions for People with Restricted Mobility

By Scott Eldredge, Hacienda Network Staff Writer

Access Ability Medical Equipment & Supply, at 5627 Stoneridge Drive in Hacienda, offers a full range of medical supplies, specializing in the sales, installation and maintenance of mobility equipment, products such as electric wheelchairs and lifts that allow wheelchair users to negotiate inclines and stairs in homes and businesses.

The six-year old company serves the greater bay area directly and a broader market via online sales from its website at www.accessability4u.com. The company employs 13 people and expects to add more to keep up with a growing demand for its products and services.

The growth is due in part to the larger U.S. elder population - the aging of the baby-boomer generation - but also to changes in the market segment. Robert Romero, Access Ability's service manager, knows from first hand experience. He tracks mobility orders from their inception, oversees installation, and follows up with the customers to make sure they are satisfied with their products.

"We're finding that many of our older clients don't want to sell their homes and move to another environment," says Romero. "They like where they are; they like their neighborhood - it's very important to them. So they're buying elevators or stair lifts so they can continue to have access in their homes. They can stay in a two-level home if they want."

Access Ability can install and maintain mobility products from all the major manufacturers. It offers scooters, powered wheelchairs, manual wheelchairs, and accessories, and can provide building access for their users with porch lifts, stair lifts, and elevators to suit any site and need. In-home mobility can be further enhanced with lifts to help clients into and out of the bath or shower, returning them to their wheelchair.

The company also offers products that help people with restricted mobility retain access to the community at large. Access Ability can equip vehicles with special driving controls and lifts to handle scooters and wheelchairs. It can even install a device in a vehicle seat that rotates, extends, and lowers it, making it easy for a person in a wheelchair to get into and out of the vehicle.

Access Ability has a buy-back program and works with nonprofit agencies and individuals to make used equipment available at lower rates. Two staff members are dedicated to working with Medicare and Medicaid patients. The company has won awards for its attention to service and customer satisfaction.

"We provide people with the comfort and mobility to meet their needs and stay in their own homes," Romero sums up. "Our products and our services help people who are in need."

Photo: Access Ability's Hacienda staff offers a variety of products for those who need assistance in maintaining their mobility.

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